Direction signal for automobiles



May 24, 1932. T. A. KANE 1,860,034

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Oct. 14. .1950 2 Sheets-Shet 1 May 24, 1932. .T. A. KANE 1,860,034

,DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Oct. 14. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 glllll Patented May 24, 1932 v A pplieation'filed October 14, 1930 serial'il op488j6 22a The object ofthis invention is to provide eificient meanswhereby the operator of a motor vehicle may apprise pedestrians and other motorists of an intention to change'his course and the direction in whic hhe intends to go. The invention provides a signal which i is mounted upon-the vehicle and maybe operated from within the'same so'that an indicator will be turned in the directionin which it" intended to steer'thevehicle. The invention also provides means whereby as the indicator 'is turned in one or the other direction it will be illuminated so that observation of the same will befassured and it will be visibleatnight as well as during'the day; The invention is illustrated in the "accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter first fully described and' then; more particularly defined in the appended claim. b V t In the drawings: y L

Figure 1 is a perspective View of mylim- 7 proved signal showing the manner in which it" ismounted upon a vehicle, I t V t Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the signal and the operating mechanism,

, Fig.3 is a detail section onthe line 3 3 of 4 Fig. 2;

' t F ig." 4 is a detail horizontal sectionon the line k-t of Fig; 2,

I 5 is a similarview on the lined-+5 .o s-a' V l i l i' Fig. 6 is a detail elevation of a portion of the rotating shaft by which thesignal or indicatoris turned, .7 s i Fig. 7 is a detail plan viewof aportion'of the bracket or mounting for'the'device, and t Fig. 8 is a view p'artly in elevation and 0 operating lever or handle. I

A QITiJQIl of a motor vehicle 11s shown at 1, V In carrying out the present invention; openingQ is formed .ithrough the frame bar of the vehicle anda rightlangle bracket 3 .and 2. Mounted upon the'bracket 3;isfa cas-.

Ting it which is preferably triangular in form wand at the apex of which an operating rising; from a clamp 11 which may swing with the lever within the casing or housing i 4 receives and holds the endof a Bowden f fsetforth 'The tubular bracket 14' is mounted upon the vehicle in sucha manner that it partly in transverse vertical section, ofjthe lever or handle 5 is "fulcruined. The lever Y extends into the casing'and below'its ful- V crum carries a spring pressed stud or latchg ing element 6 which is adapted to 'seat'inia.

recess '7 formed in the adjacent face'of one side member of the casing 4and thereby hold the lever normally "in'neutral position. a "The spring 8 which holds the locking element in its seating positionwill yield [to positive force so that the lever'n ay' be easily rocked 60.

of the lever 5*is forked or'slotted, 'asshow'n 'at 9,an d within the'slot' is pivoteda lug 10 wire 12. Said: wire 12flS housed within; a flexible sheath 13 andextends through the :opening 2=and is housed withina' tubular bracket 14 which is niou'ntediupon' the outer side of the fra-nie bar in alinenient' with said 7 opening 2 and extends upwardlyand out I Jwa'rdly from the vehicle. The outer end of the wire 12 is secured'toa slide '15 which is adaptefdto rockthe vertically disposed shaft 16; as-iwill, be presently'more particularly may be easilyj'adjusted so as to obtain the most-advantageous results, and, to this' end,

the end ofjthe tube which is disposed ii'nmediately' adjacent the 'vehicle is enlarged to form 'a' hemispherical'hea'd 17 which is disposed within a socket 18 which is secured to the side of the vehicle frame; as shown clearly inFigl 2. It will benote'd that the socket is provided with lugs 19 through which'securing screws 20 may be .passediand that the inner side of 'the socket isopen and interiorly threaded, as shown" at 21. gaged within the threaded bore of thesocket is adisk22 having a centralfopening 23fo'r thepassage of the sheath 13 andthe wire 12 housed therein and equipped with set screws 24 disposed equi -distantly around the central opening 23 and arrangedto bear against the end or'side ofthe hemisp herical head 17; L

By properly adjusting the set screws, the head may be disposed so that the tubular bracket 14 will set at any desired angle to the vehicle and be firmly held in said position. 7

An end casing is mounted on the outer upperend of the bracket 14 and may be held thereon in any desired manner, the drawings 7 showing the casing provided with a neck or collar 26 which fits closely around the end of the tubular bracket andis'provided With-a notch 27 at one point in its edge adapted to receive a stud or pin 28 projecting radially from the tubular bracket, and a resilient retainin g band 29 being secured at one end upon said neck or collar and having its free, end

spanning the notch 27 and formed with a seat V in its upper edge to engage the said projection 28 whereby the casing will be held in proper position upon the tubular bracket. The wall of the casing 25 is thickened at one side, as shownat 30, andin said thickened portion is a vertically extending groove'3l which receives and guides the slide 15 which is secured on the end of the wire 12. At its upper extremity the slide 15 carries an 1nwardly projecting pin or stud 32 which is adapted to engage a spiral groove 33 formed in the circumference of thecshaft 16, the pin or stud 32 being preferablyequipped with a roller 34 to reduce frictional Wear, as will be s best understood upon reference to Fig. 4.

The shaftlfi is seatedin a bearing or recess 35 in thebottom of the casing 25 and this hearing is lined with insulation, as shown at r 36 Theshaft l6 has a central core 37 which extends below the lower end of the shaft and is rotatably fitted in the bearing or recess 35 and is insulated from themain body of the shaft, as shown at- 38. The shaft extends through and is rotatably engaged in acap 39,

which is fitted on theupper end of the casing 25 and projects into thelower side or bottom of the indicator element 40 which, in the presentinstance, isshown as simulating an arrow The upper end of the core 37 ishollow, and a contact pin '41 is mounted therein and is yieldably pro ected upwardly by a spring42 which is housed within the recess,

The contact pin 41 engages the centercontact of an incandescentlamp 43 which is fitte'd in a holder 44 within the indicator element. The

, holder 44 makes electrical connection with the rim of the lamp 43 and'the tubular bracket 14 may be grounded through thev metal parts of the vehicle to the usual battery or maybe grounded to one terminal of the batteryso that one side of the lamp circuit will be formed through the cmetal of the indicator -element,l-the casing25, and the tubular bracketf14. Upon thebottom ofthe casing 25 within the same ai'efelectrical contacts 45 in the 7 form of spring fingers diverging to pass at opposite sides of the shaft 16, and upon the shaft is a radial contact stud 46 which'nordicator 40 is 'castin one piece of metal and makes the entire outline of the device, the sides of the same being normally open and eqpipped with panes 48 of colored glass or oti er transparent or translucentmaterial; so

that thelig'ht may pass therethrough to attract the attention of pedestrians and motorists. The panes 48 will preferably be colored red inasmuch as-th'is color is generally accepted as indicating idanger'and is known to easily attract attention." As clearly shown, theu pper frame member defines the '7 central shank'or body 49 with a triangular,

head 50 at one end and inwardly converging webs 51 at the opposite end. The bottom of the frame is open and is filled by a plate 52 having anoutline the'counterpart of the upper portion of the frame and adaptangular head 50, being equipped at one end witha spring catch 53 vto engage'the endof the web 51 and being "provided at its opposite end with a tongue or spur 54 adapted to pass within the triangular head '50- and rest upon the bottom web of thesarne between guide edito fit between the lower web 51 andthe trilugs 55 formed on the, inner up er surface of the, same. Upon reference to. igB," it will be noted that the edges of the tongue 54 and of the :guidelugs 55 are disposedobliquely so that the parts have a dove-tail engagement and will .be thereby firmly held together.

The bottom plate 52 is provided intermediate its ends with a dependin socket 5'6 rotatably fitting upon the boss 57 ormed centrallyon the top of vthe cap 39 so that the indicator may rotate" about said boss, as will be understood, and the upper end of the shaft 16 fits V closely withina ring 58 formedon the bottom plate 52 and about which the lamp supporting ring or socket 44 is'cl'osely engaged. V

T hese parts fit so "snugly together that any rotation of the shaft will be imparted direct- -1y to the indicator and the latter' will be turned in the proper direction. Rotation of the shaft is effected by swing'ingg the hand lever 5'to' one or the other side. When the upper free end-of the lever is swung to the right as indicatedin the drawings, thewire 12 will'be pushed through the sheath, '13 so that the slide l5 will bemoved' upwardly'and the proj 'ection32 will be caused to ride slam the slot 33 and "impart rotation to the she '16 so 'that the indicator will betur'ned to in dicate an intention of steering to theright.

If the lever be rocked in the opposite di rection, a movement of the other parts cor-1 respondingly will ensue and the indicator. will be swung to indicate an intentionofv. turning to the left. I I 7 From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying draw{ ings, it will be seen that Ihave provided a very compact device which will operate efli ciently and will provide a visible signal which will reliably inform persons in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle as to the operators intentions. Normally, the arrow shaped frame or indicator is disposed paral lel with the side of the vehicle so that it indicates anintention to proceed straight ahead but it will respond instantly to movements of the controlling lever 5 and make known an intention to steer to either side.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: V

I A direction signal for, motor vehicles comprising a casing, a vertically disposed shaft'rotatably mounted within the casing; and provided with a cam groove in its outer circumference, a slide mounted within the casing adjacent and parallel with theshaft, means within the casing for holding the slide to a rectilinear; path, a projection on said slide engaged in the groove in the shaft, a rotatable indicator element mounted onthe casing and connected to the shaft, and means connected with the lower end of the slide for reciprocatingthe slide.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

THOMAS ASA KANE. [L. s.] 

